Location Of Research

• conducting research in a laboratory

  -a laboratory is thought to be the most scientific location a researcher can use to carry out their research

  
  

  -a laboratory is a specially designed environment and as such allows maximum control over variables, e.g. independent variables, dependent variables and extraneous / confounding variables

  
  

  -an environment has been 'set up' by the researcher for the purpose of the research and will have access to any equipment that they may need

  
  

  -experiments and observations are commonly carried out in a laboratory
• conducting research in the field

  -research conducted in the field is research done outside of the laboratory, in a more natural setting

  
  

  -examples of where research can be carried out include schools, shopping centres, office blocks, hospitals and nurseries

  
  

  -the environment may or may not be new to the participant BUT the key feature is that the environment is a natural one

  
  

  -nearly all research methods can be carried out in the field, e.g. experiment, observation and self-report methods.
• conducting research online


  -psychologists can observe new behaviours online as well as traditional psychological topics more efficiently on a scale-surveys and experiments are the most commonly used methodologies online, and researchers utilise social networking sites as well as specific research sites to find samples and conduct research.
• advantages of research conducted in a laboratory

  S-it is a controlled environment. The researcher has control over the IV, DV and potential CVs. this is a strength because it will increase internal experimental validity, ensuring that the data collected is accurate and true
• disadvantages of research conducted in a laboratory

  W-the laboratory may cause participants to act unnaturally, as they know they are part of a research study. the tasks undertaken in a laboratory are often unrealistic and do not reflect 'real life.' Because of this, a key weakness of the laboratory is that it lacks ecological validity and results cannot be generalised to 'real life.Research that can be conducted in a laboratory is fairly limited in scope. Ethical constraints and logistical issues mean there are many topics that cannot be studied in a lab
• advantages of research conducted in the field

  S-it allows for more natural research to take place and this is a key strength. It is higher in ecological validity because participants are in a natural environment, participating in a natural task and are often unaware they are in an actual study. Behaviour is more authentic, meaning results can be generalised to real life
• disadvantages of research conducted in the field

  W-the field does not allow for as much control over confounding variables as the laboratory. This is a weakness because you cannot be sure results are accurate and not due to confounding variables. Field research is lower in experimental validity
• research conducted in the field is...

  diverse - it allows researchers to explore a vast array of different topics
• strengths of research conducted online

  -online samples are more gender balanced-more engagement from people from different racial groups-more engagement worldwide-you can access much larger samples-analysis is much easier as data is collected electronically
• disadvantages of research conducted online

  -identity of participants cannot be confirmed. This may pose ethical issues should vulnerable individuals take part. This also poses issues with robotic responses. Researchers cannot be sure the participant has the required characteristic needed for the study-samples are generally westernised and from urban areas-monetary rewards can skew who participates